“It’s not real, Daddy.” Silly Daddy.
“Just as well. You drove like that in real life and I’d take my belt off.”
Her mouth dropped open. He wouldn’t? She glanced over at him.
She was betting he would.
She didn’t own a car. No need for one when she used public transport. But when she did drive, she liked to drive fast and hard, pushing the speed limit. She’d received tactical driving lessons when she was training to be an agent. And she’d loved those classes.
But he never needed to know that.
“Hey, slowpoke, get out of the way!” she yelled at an imaginary driver.
Ed let out a laugh. “Just as well this is pretend. You’re a terrible driver.”
“Daddy, I am not. It’s everyone else who is terrible. I’m perfect.”
His face softened. “That you are, my girl.”
They’d just pulled into his garage and he was lifting her down when his phone rang.
“Go inside, Georgie-girl. Take off your boots and jacket. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said cheerfully.
She was just putting her coat away when he walked out of the garage, carrying her packages. There was a frown on his face.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. Sort of. You know those break-ins that have been happening around town?”
“Yep. Something happened?”
“Seems like they caught the guy. He was trying to break into Melanie Simmonds’ home. Got caught attempting to climb up the balcony to get to the second floor.”
“Really? But didn’t all those other robberies happen at night?” she asked
“Hmm.”
“And why climb up to the second floor?” she asked. “Wouldn’t you just go through the downstairs window?”
“Unless he thought the second floor wasn’t alarmed.”
“She had an alarm?”
“Any woman living alone is required to have an alarm in Wishingbone.”
“They are?” She’d never heard of a town making that a requirement.
“Yeah, we passed that law last year sometime. I want the women in my town to be protected.”
Wow. That was insane. And also something she should have expected from Ed. He was a man who fiercely protected those he cared about. Which included the entire town of Wishingbone.
“That’s how he was caught. The alarm went off, and Mel’s neighbor called the cops then went over with her shotgun to hold him until the cops arrived. Unfortunately, he was already trying to get out. Had his leg over the balustrade of the balcony.”
“Why is that unfortunate?”
“He was stark naked at the time. And Matilda, the woman with the gun, wouldn’t let him move.”